Lee Radziwill, sister of the late Jackie O., was the picture of elegance in Giambattista Valli’s front row. The stylish socialite sang the young Italian designer’s praises and told me she finds Valli’s clothes to be the epitome of chic. Sure enough, the catwalk fare on display at Couvent des Cordeliers, the old St. Germain convent, oozed with the grace and sophistication that Valli has become famous for. A minimalistic edge was evident in many of the looks, yet there was nothing staid or boring about these clothes. Wild black and white fur dripped from skirts and dresses while beading, embroidery and a black and white still-life print punched up the artistry and femininity.

While some designers made a move toward moderate minimalism, the dramatic silhouette and a generous helping of theatrical embellishment seemed to be a priority at McQueen. In her second season as Alexander McQueen’s successor, Sarah Burton seemed to be returning to what the label had always stood for. Burton riffed on stark silhouettes, edgy lines and clothes that were stories unto themselves. There was an air of regality to these dresses that had everyone speculating about Burton having been chosen to design Kate Middleton’s wedding gown. The house is a favourite right now, and the gesture would be a huge vote of confidence for Burton as well as a tremendous homage to McQueen, who tragically took his life last year.

There were at least a couple of spectacular white and ivory gowns by the show’s end that had the potential to make it to Westminster Abbey next month. But we’ll have to wait and see what happens.

We’ll also have to play the waiting game before we know whether the fashion world really is entering a new age in which the clothes take precedence over the iconic status of a designer. Certainly, the display at Dior at the start of Paris Fashion Week seemed to be saying something with the presentation going on sans its disgraced creator. And earlier in the week, Balmain’s Christophe Decarnin was absent from that house’s presentation, with reports indicating that he had been hospitalized as a result of exhaustion.

But at Louis Vuitton, the designer-as-rock star was still very much the status quo. The much-loved Marc Jacobs, who’s at the creative helm of the luxury brand, chose to go the kinky route for fall. He unraveled a steamy story based on the hard-core connection between fashion and fetish. With legendary supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss in the mix, Jacobs gave us a dark but distinct play on severity tempered with sensuality. Models wearing handcuff bracelets rose through the centre of the floor on an old-fashioned elevator; they were decked out in strict pencil skirts, hot pants, sleek patent coats and jackets, each dutifully carrying an LV signature Lockit bag. Milliner Stephen Jones’ shearling captain’s hats added to the costume effect and most of the sky-high shoes looked like laced corsets up the legs. Big ballooning sleeves, some that were ultra furry, added to the intriguing whimsy while reams of shiny paillettes capped off the over-the-top glamour.

Post-show, Jacobs held court backstage with a huge cluster of journalists eager to have him talk about the collection’s erotic edge. As I watched a sizable security team whisk Jacobs away, I marveled at the frenzy fashion still manages to generate and how the relentless pressures of this business can create such seismic shifts.

“We just want to keep making it better each season,” Jacobs told me just before he was escorted out of the big tent. “And now, all I can think about is that we’ve got to do it all over again in six months.”Karl Lagerfeld, top, presented a dark, haunting vision for the label with a smoky array of tweeds and no-nonsense footwear gliding over smouldering rocks.